Drunken Devil's The Sinner's Soiree: 2015 Recap

It's time for another #ShriekySunday, and this time, we look at a newcomer to the L.A. haunt scene last year in the form of Drunken Devil Production's The Sinner's Soiree. This event advertised itself as a bit more of an adult play--not necessarily in the content of the haunt, but just in general vibe and atmosphere. The idea was to create a Mardi Gras themed Southern Gothic version of hell, where a sense of quiet, slow creep pervaded, rather than in-your-face high-intensity scares.

To that end, The Sinner's Soiree was not a typical haunt. The spaces and scenes were generaly sparsely themed, relying on play of light and shadow and select props to convey their story. The actors sometimes went for startle scares, but more often, they were present to evoke a macabre mood and play off the concept of sin and the appeal of dark things. So though not necessarily scary, it was a different sort of event. Lets take a further look...

Title card.

We entered to the sight of a sort of sinister barker to get us excited about our experience of upcoming debauchery.

I had to break my rule of never using flash just to get a usable photo of this actor, who popped up out of nowhere.

The next scene took on a bit of a Marti Gras feel.

Out of the shadows came this dark reveler.

Next to lamplight.

The scenes weren't overly elaborate, but that created more of a pure experience.

Then it was time to get debaucherous?

Maybe this was why the soiree was for sinners.

Props.

Moving onward, what's behind the curtain?

Oh, why hello!

Oh, there were two.

If a drunken devil put together a haunted maze, I suppose it would have some ladies of the night.

But after a bit of flirty interaction, we had to leave the lovely ladies behind.

We encountered a witch doctor in the next space.

Not much of a scare factor...

...more of a creep factor.

This is heightened in the next room, which featured a sort of voodoo priestess and accompanying practitioner.

Creepers be creepin'...

Finally, we came to the last scene, at a bar.

My favorite character in the maze was the bartender, who was sassy, snappy, and belligerent--and highly entertaining!

My, what sharp teeth you have!

As we left, we encountered the drunken devil himself.

He was more of an emcee character than anything, but this Lucifer was more than happy to pose for a photo.

The maze dumped guests into a bar and lounge area, apparently watched by this Bobblehead Jesus.

Bobblehead Jesus was much beloved.

At least from this hostess.

If one picture symbolized what Drunken Devil Productions is all about, this was it.

The lounge and bar area allowed guests to unwind, have a drink or two, and see can-can girls.

It proved to be a nice socializing area.

Things had died down a bit by the late hour in which we arrived on this night, but I heard from other friends who went on other nights that the scene could be pretty bustling.

Once more, our Southern Gothic style devil.

And that was that!

When I ran into Drunken Devil owner Matt Dorado at Midsummer Scream, he mentioned that they would not be returning with a haunted attraction this fall. The outcome of The Sinner's Soiree wasn't exactly in line with Matt's original vision as a haunt, but as it turned out, the social aspect outside of the actual maze turned his attention to putting on more themed social events, which have come with some greater success.

This October, they will be putting together a Witches' Ball Halloween dance, featuring the same ambiance of darkness and decadence mixed with vaudeville, acrobatic, and dance performances, a bar atmosphere, and a spirit of old fashioned Halloween indulgence and festivity. For those looking for a unique Halloween weekend Saturday night experience, this might be worth checking out!